Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-07-28
HAD NO WARNING.
Eleven Italian LabOrerS Killed. Run
Down By an Express Train on
The Erie Railroad.
Six Others Seriously Injured "A Place
Near HOhOkus. n. Y. the Scene of
the Accident-The Train Men
Not to Blame.

HoHoKUs, n. Y. July Plat Z: is clock
this morning horrible accident occurred
on the Erie railroad at a point about a
third of mile above Hohokus, resulting
in the killing of eleven men and the
serious injury of five others. A gang of
| forty-two Italian laborers were at work
ballasting the tracks when they noticed
the milk train coming up the road from
Hohokus. They Immediately stepped
over to the down track, but in their hurry
failed to notice the Chicago express bear
ing down upon them. Before any one
knew exactly what was happening the
| express had ploughed into their midst,
knocking the unfOrtunates right and left,
killing ten of the number outright and
wounding six others, one so badly that he
| died before he reached Paterson, whittier
the wounded were carried as soon as ac-
commodations could be secured to convey
them. The express was unable to come
to stop until it reached the Hohokus
station, where 1t was found that the cow
catcher and step OF the engine was
broken, but no other damage done.
Investigation shows that the train hands
were entirely blameless. The wounded
were not removed until half an hour later,
when construction train took them to
Paterson. All the station hands who were
available, as well as some residents in the
vicinity, fastened to the scene where the
comrades of the dead and injured men
were already administering to the wants
of those who were not past needing any
assistance.
HORRIBLE SCENES.
Most of the unfortunates had been
hurled down the embankment of the
down track, while some were lying around
between the rails horribly mutilated
Hats, coats and shoes which had been
torn from the victims, were scattered
about, and in some places were little
pools of blood, pieces of human bones,
and ragged strips of flesh. Some had
their legs cut off; others were lying with
hldeOIs gashes in their heads, and some
SO horribly mangled as TO be unrecog
nizable.
The killed were: Giuseppe Torrio, BIZ
maldo Geneive, Calico Pisagrele, Domi-
nico Stampro, Dono2o Damporsa,
Pasnagle Dibiano, Michael Tobio, two
meE named Dominica Saldonella, and one
whose name is unknown. One man with
his shoulder fractured was found sitting
under bridge, $50 yards from where he
was struck, where he had been carried by
the engine. He was taken with the other
five wounded to the Paterson hos pitai.
The railroad men have different opin-
ions as to who is to blame for the acc1-
dent. Some censur Connolly, foreman of
the gang, but he was around the curve at
the tool box and was unable to see the
train. His assistant was with the gang
and some regard him as responsible but
be explains that the suddeness of the
arrival af the trains put all precautions at
naught, as there was no time to warn the
men, and his voice could not have been
heard above the noise created by the milk
train. Moreover, the Chicago express
was not on time and he had no way of
knowing of it's proximity. The men
were probably as much to blame as any
body. They are insufferably stupid at
times and have to be pulled out of the
way of approaching trains. All the dead
men were married.
WHAT A CONDUCTOR SAW.
Conductor Ramper, who was on the con
struction train behind the express, states
that he never saw so horrible scene. One
unfortunate whose brains were scattered
for twenty yards alongthe tracks jumped
up three times after he was thrown aside
by the cowcatcher; and another man
whom he went to lift up by the hand
while he was yet quivering, caught his
wrist in convulsive death grip from
which he was with difficulty released. He
saw many similar cases, and describes
the shrieks of the wounded and dying as
something awful
The names of the six wounded men are
as follows: Dominica Scranoux, leg
broken and Commissions about the body;
Henry Lops, broken arm and scalp
wounds; Joseffa Fostei, badly cut and
bruised about the head; Palermo Tentia,
broken leg, Commissions about the body,
and internal injuries; Ambrose Michael
Canda, Commissions about the body, and
internal Injuries. He got up and walked
about after the accident, but afterward
suffered so much pain that he was sent to
the hos pital with the others. The name
of sixth man is believed to be Mano or
Marini. He was SO frightfully injured
about the head and body as to be unrec-
onizable. He is dying.
A WATERMELON EPISODE